Tell Me More! or, Life's a Competition
by sugandya
Summary: A short Liberty's Kids story. Henri gives James some unwanted details about Sarah's bath. Will this distraction stop James from making deadline?? Now in exciting REVISO-VISION!


"Tell me more!" or "Life's a Competition" by Bulgogi S. _(subu_show@yahoo.com)_

Disclaimer: Liberty's Kids is property of DIC, PBS, and some other things I'm too lazy too research. This is a fanfic. It's short, bitter, and just a little dirty. After letting it sit for... god knows how long, I've refined the story and changed the ending a little. Enjoy!

(Quality is never guaranteed!)

James, sitting at his desk, looked over his report one last time. Now he felt confident enough to turn it in to Dr. Franklin tomorrow. James had asked to hold onto it for a few days more so he could work on the article; he really wanted to outdo Sarah this time. Just as James was about to snuff out the oil lamp for the night, Henri, the scrappy but cute French street urchin, entered his room.

"Alloo...oough" groaned Henri in his thick accent, his chest heaving, and his face flushed. James wasn't startled at Henri's entry; he often entered the room panting and heaving from trying to escape some angry shopkeeper. Aside from that, it was pretty late. Henri never came into James's room this late at night unless there was something the matter.

"I must talk to you, James," said Henri, panting still. James's face showed concern yet suspicion. He knew Henri was a harbor for trouble. Instead of spewing out a few wisecrack assumptions about what Henri may have done now, James said in a monotone voice: "Speak, Henri." James was sleepy and wanted to lie down. He wanted this story to end as soon as possible.

Henri did as he was told. "Sarah asked me to prepare a bath for 'err," began Henri. This wasn't very striking information, but James still questioned it. Sarah usually prepared her own bath,or had Moses do it, providing she helped him around the shop earlier. "Why?" James asked. "She gave me two pounds for it!" said Henri. Two pounds?? James eyes showed a bit of fury. He had gone to her earlier that day, asking for a "small" loan:

"Sarah," said James. "I promise I'll pay you back in two days!"  
"James," she said. "Twenty pounds is a lot! Why do you even need--"

James really didn't know why he even bothered her about it. He just wanted to see if the rich little Tory would give it to him. No, actually, he was bored when he asked her that. Very bored. Oh god, now his mind was wandering. He was getting sleepy. He had to stay awake to listen to Henri.

"Two pounds?" James asked. "That's a nice bit. So... why are you telling me this?" Henri's face flushed deeper out of embarrassment. "I feel as if..." little Henri began hesitantly. "I feel as if I 'ave seen some things that I should not 'ave." James, who was very tired before, was awakened by sudden interest. "W-what do you mean, Henri? 'Some things you should 'ave not seen?'" James said to Henri. James's eyes locked onto Henri's face. He made sure he didn't want to miss a word nor an emotion.

Henri wrung his sweaty palms together. "I was...fetching more water and Sarah was 'eeating it on the fire," he began. "And she poured the 'eeted water into the basin--"

James was trying not to lose interest. He gave Henri the benefit of the doubt. This just may be well worth losing some sleep over.

"--and I entered the room and poured more water into the pot," continued Henri, his eyes wandering towards the fireplace. "And 'err back was to me...She unbuttoned 'err dress..." James blinked slowly. As Henri spoke, an image of Sarah standing with her side facing the fireplace formed into his mind. Her arms reached behind to her back. Her hands gently unfastened each button. Oh. I'm not enjoying these images, thought James. I'm just imagining them as he--

"Sarah told me to wait," said Henri. "And I did and...'err dress fell off... and so she unlaced 'err-- uhh," Henri hesitated. He didn't know the name of a corset. " Anyway," he continued, "She faced me and untied the ribbon of 'err...uhmn--"

"--Chemise..." said James in a low voice.

James's eyes weren't focused on Henri's face anymore; he was now leering into space. His cheeks were flushed from finishing Henri's sentence. "Oh, that's what it is?" asked Henri before continuing. "As I said, she took off..." Henri hesitated again. "...The rest of it. And I got scared."

"Why did you become scared?" James said slowly. "I...do not think I am supposed to see 'err like that..." Henri uttered timidly. "Not me," said Henri, stressing the "me." James was becoming more and more intrigued. Never had he been so interested in any of Henri's stories.

"What did you see?" he found himself asking without any shame or hesitation. James knew Henri saw Sarah nude; he just wanted to hear each and every detail.

Henri stood still for a moment. He tried to explain what he saw. He really didn't know where to start, except at the top. Henri told James Sarah removed the ribbon from her hair. He described to him how her red locks of hair spilled down her neck. Henri then tried to describe her breasts, which was indicated by Henri cupping his hands over his chest. "And they 'ad tips," said Henri. "red-brown or something like that. Like yours, but you do not have the cups!" James blushed at that remark. Henri didn't know the words he could use to explain the rest, so he skipped ahead a bit.

"She climbed into the basin," said Henri. "And she told me to take the sponge and wash her back. And I did. And she started to talk about 'err mother." James nodded as he listened. He had never felt his face grow so hot.

"And then," said Henri. "She told me to stand in front of the basin. And so, I did. And she 'eld out 'err leg...and rested it upon my shoulder--" Henri's voice squeaked when he said "shoulder." He shivered and continued. "She..she...I put my 'and around the outside of 'err leg...and I moved the sponge...and then my 'and moved to the inside of 'err leg...all the way up to..." Henri shyly gestured at his upper-inner thigh, not too far from his crotch. "When I reached that point," said Henri, his voice trembling. "I ran away... I probably did the wrong thing, but I could not continue...!"

James's hands unknowingly firmly gripped the arms of the chair he was sitting in. His breathing was heavy. He felt funny. Very, very funny. James had never seen nor touched the female form in the natural state. The closest he had come to seeing and touching it was trying to grope the breasts of a statue of Aphrodite in the garden of John Hancock (Which he received a slap for from Dr. Franklin.).

James felt terrible for wanting to see Sarah...in that form. Not only was he curious, but Sarah was very, very pretty. And he cared about her deeply...Sarah was probably alone and confused in that basin. Sarah needed someone to wash her--

James was going to wash her.

He is going to wash her.

JAMES IS GOING TO WASH HER!!!

James made a heroic leap out of the chair and ran past Henri and out the door. He valiantly (and shamelessly) cried:

"SARAH! I AM GOING TO WASH YOU!"

-and dashed to the room where the wash basin was usually used. James flung the door open and panted.

Dr. Franklin, who had been bathing in the room the whole time, quietly stood up in the basin. With his back to James, he bent over to pick up his robe, his backside high in the air.

That night, James lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling with beady eyes. His throat was sore from emitting the highest scream his laryx could physically produce. Surely God had heard when James called for Them.

That night in the barn, Henri lay snuggled in his bed with a big smile on his face. Two pounds were left underneath his pillow, as promised by Sarah last night. She had asked for him to help her conjure a situation that would scare James so much, he would be too ill from shock to want to meet deadline for his new article.

The End.

Notes:

1.Yes, I actually made revisions. Why? Because I was bored!

2.What do you think of this ending? Leave your comments in the review section. 


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